Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris while traveling on his private jet.

French network TF1 reported that he was wanted in France in connection with an investigation into a lack of moderation at Telegram, which authorities said allowed criminal activity to continue on the platform.

Telegram representatives did not immediately comment on the situation, nor did French authorities.

Durov, whose net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to close opposition communities on his social media platform VK. He later sold it.

He stated that Telegram should remain a neutral platform, resistant to various government pressures.

According to Durov, Telegram blocks accounts and chat bots that collect data used to carry out strikes or incite violence.

Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in March that Telegram poses certain risks because “anyone can create a channel and start writing whatever they want on it,” but it also has certain benefits, namely enabling communication with people in occupied regions.

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